outback information

Sheep

I grew up on lamb chops, roast lamb, lamb shepherd's pie, lamb patties, lamb cutlets, lamb kebabs, lamb casseroles, lamb sandwiches and lamb any other way you can think of eating it. Well we called it lamb - it wasn't mutton (my mother bailed up at that) - but it was usually something inbetween. Not many farmers eat the very best of what they produce - certainly not those of Scottish descent! We wore hand knitted wool jumpers and wool singlets and wool socks instead of turning up the heaters, but then so did everyone else when I was growing up.

I cannot for the life of me understand why wool has fallen from grace in recent years, especially now Australia's famous Merino wool can be spun as fine as you like and can be machine washed. Wool is the most environmentally friendly fibre on the planet. Sheep are shorn annually then run off and eat grass and drink water for another year - producing another good fleece and probably a lamb or two to boot.

Wool is fabulous insulation and resistant to fire, it repels water and 'breathes', and it's completely natural. Cotton is a great natural fibre for summer and the tropics but you have to wear it a foot thick to stay warm in winter, and who wants to go around like the Michelin Man.

Sheep

So the only other alternative (apart from specialty cloths such as hemp, linen and silk) is synthetic material created from petrochemicals. Is it a good idea to choose synthetic chemicals over a completely natural fibre, on a daily basis?

Is it a good idea to heat your house or office up like an oven in winter and dry your skin out like a lizard, just so you don't have to wear a jumper?

There is nothing more impressive than a long wool coat - they make anyone look stylish - and there's nothing sillier than the sight of freezing people dashing between offices and transportation, underdressed in slippery synthetics.  (For examples of both, observe commuters at peak hour along the upper end of Collins Street, Melbourne CBD, in midwinter.)

If you live in a cold climate, and you care about the environment, you must own a quality wool coat, some good wool jumpers and some thick wool socks. And even in the tropics you can wear ug boots first thing on winter's mornings. But buy the genuine WOOL ones, not those misleadingly advertised as 'suede' which are not genuine suede at all, they're synthetic rubbish that will make your feet sweat and stink.

Unfortunately in recent years the Australian wool industry has reduced in size substantially, due to falling prices at a time when cattle prices were relatively good, so many long-term wool producers made the switch to beef.  It takes a lot more time and management expertise to well manage a sheep operation, however hopefully the decline in sheep numbers has plateaued.

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